Ark Simulator, Don't I Lack a Physical Body? Chapter 307

"I'm not your test subject!" Her eyes reddened, but her voice no longer trembled. "I want to bask in the sun, I want to eat desserts, I want... I want to live like a normal person!"

Shining slowly turned her face back, her dark eyes fixed on Nightingale. Her expression remained calm, but something shattered in her eyes.

"... I see."

She uttered only these three words before turning and walking towards the door. Her black robe swept across the floor, making a soft rustling sound.

In the instant they brushed past each other, the Nightingale heard her say very softly:

"... Feel sorry."

Then, Shining disappeared into the shadows of the corridor.

Su Rui's ethereal figure drifted to Nightingale's side and gently took her still trembling hand in his.

"Well done," he said softly. "From today onwards, no one can lock you up again."

Nightingale gazed in the direction Shining had gone, and tears finally streamed down her face.

But this time, they are tears of freedom.

As the door to the reception room closed behind her, Nightingale's knees suddenly buckled.

She instinctively grabbed the wall of the corridor—this was what real walls felt like; the plaster coating had a fine, grainy texture, unlike the reinforced glass in the laboratory that had been polished to a shine and was so cold it reflected her pale image.

(I'm alive)

The thought suddenly struck her chest. For the first time in three years, the pain did not arrive as expected. No electrodes were attached to monitor her stress response, and no cold mechanical voice announced, "Subject's α-7 emotional fluctuations are excessive." There was only a round porthole at the end of the corridor, where sunlight slanted in, and the dust floating in the beam of light resembled a miniature starburst.

(Is this freedom?)

She looked down at her hands, the edge of her palm still burning from Shining. So anger had a temperature, burning from her fingertips to her heart like hot tea. Su Rui's phantom floated beside her, data streams occasionally brushing against the inside of her wrist—where monitoring runes had once been embedded, now only pale pink new flesh remained.

The corridor carpet was navy blue, its plush texture worn into varying shades by footsteps. Nightingale deliberately ran her toes over the tiny swirls, watching them rise and fall like ocean waves. The laboratory floor was always gleaming like a mirror; she had to walk barefoot and silently to avoid being reprimanded for "disrupting the experimental environment."

There was a full-length mirror at the corner, and she was caught off guard when she saw herself in it:

Her blonde hair was tinged honey by the corridor wall lamps, her cheeks had a healthy blush, and her lips were no longer the pale purple of those lacking nutrients. The most unfamiliar thing was her eyes—no shadows, no bloodshot veins, and two complete, bright glints in her pupils.

(Is this me?)

Su Rui's projection suddenly appeared in the mirror, lightly wrapping her arm around her shoulder. "You look like a little sun."

That's when the restaurant's aroma wafted over.

The aroma of toasted bread, the richness of stew, and a hint of sweet jam. Nightingale's stomach suddenly spasmed and made a sound—so this is what true hunger feels like, not the mechanical reminder before a laboratory injection of nutrients, but a call filled with anticipation, almost painful.

The closer she got to the restaurant, the clearer the noise became: the clinking of cutlery, the laughter of conversation, the scraping of chairs as they moved. Nightingale stopped at the door, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her skirt.

(So many people...)

In the lab's cafeteria, she always sat alone in a corner, her metal plate embedded in a fixed tabletop. Once, she tried to strike up a conversation with a researcher sitting next to her, which resulted in three days of sensory deprivation as punishment.

"Don't be afraid." Su Rui's illusory figure passed through the doorway, then reached back to take her hand. "I peeked at the menu; they have blueberry muffins today."

His data stream clung to her fingertips, like a safety rope tied to a frightened bird.

As Nightingale finally stepped into the restaurant, sunlight streamed through the stained glass, casting jewel-like dappled patterns on the long table. Some looked up and smiled at her, others nodded in greeting with their coffee cups, and a Perro operator accidentally knocked over a pepper shaker, eliciting a good-natured chuckle from the next table.

There were no monitors, no restraints, and no sound of lab logs being written.

Only a hundred heartbeats, carrying the aroma of food, beat in her chest like a bright poem.

Nightingale sat by the dormitory window, her fingertips unconsciously drawing circles on her staff. Su Rui's phantom floated opposite her, the data stream shimmering in the morning light.

"What are you thinking about?" Su Rui suddenly asked.

Nightingale sighed softly. "Should I... find something to do?" Her fingers traced the tip of her staff. "This ability... might help someone."

Su Rui's projection suddenly sat up straight. "The Medical Department has no problems. Your barrier can filter Originium crystals, and its healing effect is much stronger than standard medical techniques."

Nightingale blinked. "But Dr. Kal'tsit..."

"She'll definitely agree. If all else fails, I'll ask her." Su Rui's phantom drew a playful arc in the air. "Last time I helped her fix the medical system that Closure had messed up, and the time before that..."

Before Su Rui could finish speaking, she heard Nightingale's reply.

"Alright." Nightingale raised her head, her golden eyes shining brightly. "Let's go see Dr. Kal'tsit."

Volume 12, Chapter 680: Confession?

Nightingale stood in front of the Medical Department office, her fingertips gently stroking the tip of her staff. The Originium on the staff was slightly warm, as if responding to her nervousness.

"Are you really going?" she asked softly, turning her gaze to Su Rui beside her.

Su Rui's illusory figure glowed with a soft blue light in the morning glow. Hearing this, she gently touched her wrist. "Don't worry, Kal'tsit is actually very easy to talk to."

He had barely finished speaking when the office door suddenly slid open automatically.

"Why are you muttering to yourself at the door? Why don't you come in and talk?" Kal'tsit's voice came from inside, her tone carrying a familiar sense of helplessness.

Nightingale took a deep breath and stepped inside.

The Medical Department office was warmer than expected. Kal'tsit was sitting at her desk, her white coat casually draped over the back of her chair, holding a steaming cup of coffee. When they entered, she put down her cup, her gaze lingering on Nightingale for a moment before turning to the phantom of Su Rui.

"Giving me trouble again?" She raised an eyebrow, but there was no real displeasure in her tone.

Su Rui's projector floated to the desk, displaying a data stream that spread out a report on the surface, "Nightingale's Originium Arts adaptability test results, take a look—"

Kal'tsit raised her hand to interrupt him, "I've seen it." She turned to Nightingale, her gaze softening. "Your healing abilities are indeed outstanding."

Nightingale gripped her staff tightly. "Then... can I join the Medical Department?"

Kal'tsit didn't answer immediately. She picked up her coffee, took a sip, and her gaze shifted between the two of them.

"Theoretically, you'll need at least two weeks for a psychological evaluation," she said, glancing at Su Rui's projection suddenly dimming slightly, and couldn't help but sigh, "However..."

Su Rui's data stream immediately sprang to life, sidling up like a puppy spotting a treat. "But?"

Kal'tsit rubbed her temples. "The Medical Department is indeed short-staffed." She put down her coffee cup and looked at Nightingale. "You can start by learning the basic procedures from Warfarin, but your working hours cannot exceed four hours per day."

Nightingale's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Don't get too excited." Kal'tsit took an ID card from the drawer and handed it to her. "Two-week trial period. If you don't meet the requirements, you'll be returned."

Suddenly, Su Rui's projector displayed a series of twinkling stars on the desk. "Kal'tsit, you're the best!"

"Don't give me that." Kal'tsit glared at him, but couldn't hide the smile on her face. Turning to Nightingale, her tone returned to professional. "Eight o'clock tomorrow morning. Don't be late."

Nightingale nodded solemnly, and a small flower of light unconsciously bloomed at the tip of her staff.

As she walked out of the office, Su Rui's illusory figure was still excitedly spinning around. "See? I told you she actually takes good care of us."

Nightingale looked down at the ID card in her hand; the words "Real Medical Operator" gleamed in the sunlight. She gently touched the data stream beside her. "Thank you, Su Rui."

Behind the door of the Medical Department, Kal'tsit listened to the fading footsteps and glanced down at the newly popped-up message on her terminal:

[Su Rui: I put Victoria black tea in your drawer, don't drink coffee all the time.]

She gave a soft hum, but still opened the drawer. Inside lay a beautifully packaged box of tea, and next to it were several chocolates with familiar packaging—special items from her favorite shop.

"Always trying to be clever..." she muttered to herself, but still put the chocolate in her pocket.

As the automatic doors to the Medical Department slowly opened, Nightingale was organizing emergency medical supplies. Her staff leaned against the table, its tip gleaming with a soft, pearly light. When familiar footsteps sounded, her fingers hovered in mid-air.

"Good afternoon."

Shining stood in the doorway, her snow-white doctor's robes neatly cinched at the waist. The black robes that once symbolized her status Absolver were gone, replaced by the dark blue scarf of Rhodes Island's standard uniform. Most striking was the greyish-white restraint ring on her right wrist—exactly the same one Nightingale had once worn, only now completely dormant.

Su Rui's phantom immediately appeared from the terminal, and a semi-transparent barrier was erected between the two by the data stream.

"Kal'tsit has approved my transfer request." Shining's voice was soft, her gaze falling on Nightingale's official medic badge. "As your support physician."

The glass of the medicine cabinet reflected Nightingale's slightly dilated pupils. She instinctively grabbed the staff, and a warm resonance immediately emanated from it. This was not a dream—the person who had bound her to the lab table three years ago was now wearing the same white lab coat as her.

"I refuse," Su Rui's projection said coldly.

"Refusal denied." Kal'tsit's voice suddenly came from the corridor. She was holding two cups of coffee, handing one to Nightingale, who was frozen in place. "Her Originium Arts theory exam was a perfect score." The head of the Medical Department glanced meaningfully at the restraining ring on Shining's wrist, "And she's wearing a self-binding device."

Nightingale noticed that Shining's left hand was always in his pocket. When Kal'tsit approached, that hand trembled slightly—a nerve damage from long-term experiments, a symptom she was all too familiar with.

"I..." Nightingale had barely begun to speak when Su Rui's ethereal figure floated onto her shoulder:

"Don't be soft-hearted! She didn't—"

"Su Rui." Nightingale suddenly reached out, data streaming through her fingers. "Look at her wrist."

The restraint ring signifies her willingness to be monitored.

The examination room fell silent. Sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the floating dust. Nightingale looked at Shining's lowered eyelashes in the light and shadow, and suddenly thought of the moonlight that could never reach the laboratory.

"Clinic B4 is short-staffed," she finally said softly, the light from her staff gently spreading across the floor. "But use my modified binding straps—the kind that won't leave bruises."

Shining looked up abruptly, her grey-purple pupils trembling slightly. She opened her mouth, but ultimately only nodded solemnly. "Understood."

As the automatic door closed again, Su Rui's projection circled Nightingale once. "Are you serious?" If it were him, he certainly wouldn't let it go so easily.

Nightingale gazed out the window. Behind the glass of examination room B4, Shining was clumsily tidying up instruments, her movements so awkward that she was unlike the genius who once wielded the scalpel with such precision. For a fleeting moment, she clutched her left arm, a look of pain on her face, but quickly concealed it.

"She's in pain too," Nightingale said, stroking the newly engraved Babel emblem on her staff. "And..."

Su Rui followed her gaze. Half a wrapper was sticking out of Shining's white lab coat pocket—it was a limited edition Dossoles Starry Sky Candy, Nightingale's favorite.

The data stream suddenly formed a virtual hand, gently ruffling Nightingale's golden hair. "Should I keep an eye on her?"

"Hmm." Nightingale pressed the coffee cup against her cheek; the temperature was exactly 43 degrees Celsius, which Su Rui usually set. "But... don't be too fierce."

At the end of the corridor, Kal'tsit looked at the three figures coexisting harmoniously on the monitor screen, crossed out "[Recommended Observation Period]" on the "Psychological Evaluation Report," and changed it to "[Trial Cooperation]."

Volume 12, Chapter 681: This is a secret between two people.

The incandescent lights in the Medical Department reflected a cold light onto the metal instruments. Nightingale stood in front of the medicine cabinet, her fingertips lightly brushing over the rows of medicine bottles, her gaze lowered, as if she were particularly focused on the small print on the labels.

Shining walked past her, the hem of her white coat swaying slightly with each step, vaguely outlining her narrow yet strong waistline. Two buttons on her shirt collar were undone, revealing a section of pale collarbone that gleamed delicately under the light.

"She didn't button her clothes properly again today." Su Rui's voice echoed in Nightingale's mind, tinged with a mischievous smile.

Nightingale's fingertips paused for a moment, then she subtly turned her body to the side, fixing her gaze firmly on the medicine cabinet, refusing to stray even slightly towards Shining.

"... Don't look." She whispered a scolding in her mind, her ear tips turning slightly red.

Su Rui's illusory image appeared beside her, her semi-transparent silhouette leaning lazily against the edge of the medicine cabinet, a smile playing on her lips.

"Nightingale, I'm a holographic projection, 360 degrees without blind spots." His voice carried a clear hint of mockery. "Even if you turn me around, I can still 'admire' Doctor Shining's... well, exquisite outfit."

Nightingale's eyelashes trembled, and her fingers unconsciously tightened their grip on her staff. The Originium on the staff was slightly warm, as if responding to her emotions.

Shining stopped in her tracks, catching a glimpse of Nightingale's profile out of the corner of her eye—her expression was calm as usual, but her ears were almost transparently red.

"Nightingale?" she asked softly, "Do you need help?"

Nightingale immediately shook her head, her long golden hair swaying gently with the movement. "N-nothing." Her voice was soft, but it carried a hint of panic, like a child caught doing something wrong.

Shining narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze shifting for a moment between Nightingale and the medicine cabinet, before finally nodding. "Call me if you need anything."

She turned and left, the fabric of her shirt stretching slightly with her movement, the curve of her lower back faintly visible under the light.

Nightingale's breath hitched, and she immediately turned her face away, pretending to focus on the potion bottle in her hand.

"... Su Rui!" she shouted in her mind, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed.

Su Rui chuckled and pinched her burning cheek with her virtual fingers.

"Don't worry, I'll only 'look' at you."

Nightingale pursed her lips, a barely perceptible hint of satisfaction flashing in her eyes, but she quickly straightened her face again.

"Liar," she muttered softly, "You clearly just now—"

"Occupational hazard," Su Rui interrupted her seriously. "Full-view, automatic scanning, there's nothing I can do about it."

The Nightingale gave a soft hum, but the corners of her lips couldn't help but curl up slightly.

At the end of the corridor, Shining leaned against the corner, quietly watching Nightingale's retreating figure.

She saw the Nightingale's shoulders twitch slightly, as if she were suppressing a laugh; she saw her pause occasionally, as if listening to something; she saw the tips of her ears turn red, and her fingertips unconsciously twirling her staff—

All of this seemed like a silent dialogue.

Shining sighed softly, looked down at her shirt collar, and thoughtfully buttoned up a button.

The smell of disinfectant permeated the Medical Department. As Nightingale tiptoed to organize the top-level medicine cabinet, her fingertips suddenly trembled slightly.

"The fifth bottle from the left in the third row, the label is on backwards." Su Rui's voice slid into her consciousness like an electric current, carrying a familiar resonance that only she could perceive.